Akasha is the title of Leigh Lesho’s sophomore album that is set to release on 10/10. She is the writer and head producer of the project with the help of Oscar Fuentes as recording engineer and studio musician, along with production support from Gabriel Sullivan (XIXA). Other stellar artists that can be heard throughout the album include Thoger Lund (Giant Sand) on upright bass and cello, Lauren Wilson on percussion, Heather “Lil Mama” Hardy on fiddle, along with many more special guest contributions.
Leigh Lesho’s first album 444 was released in 2016 as a compilation of what she felt were the strongest, most relevant songs she had written over the years up to the point of meeting friend and producer Oscar Fuentes in 2012. Since the creation of 444 was an afterthought to its contents, Leigh decided to approach it with her wide-open appreciation for all genres of music and allow the songs to decide which sound forms they each wanted to take on. With hits such as Shadowside and Desert Dwellers, the album has been very well received with fans often expressing their appreciation for the many different sounds and styles that it contains while still creating a cohesive sound. Leigh and her band known as The Night Lights have been consistently playing live shows ever since the release of 444, and Leigh was already conceptualizing the follow-up project as soon as the first one was complete.
Akasha is a concept album and is the Sanskrit word for the element of space/ether. A concept album is like a storybook, with each song being like a chapter of the story. Each of the songs that make up the album hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. The album opens with the track Mountain, which represents the earth element and moves through the tracks as if moving upward through the human experience, transforming earth into the water, water into fire, fire into air, air into space, then a holding of space, and finally a shedding of the physical self. The center of the album is the track The Battlefield which was inspired by the Bhagavad Gita and written by Leigh while in India studying with her teacher. The concept is large and involved but the words, the feel, the sound, and all the pieces of this project achieve a sense of divine simplicity, that feels destined to find its home in the Americana community.
The overall message in the story of Akasha is one that hopes to inspire consideration and regard for the voice and the ability to verbally communicate as a sacred gift. Most people are granted the ability to speak, so it’s usually taken for granted. Speech is a powerful form of energy and both are very important topics for Leigh because she has been a devoted yoga student and teacher for most of her life, and her nine-year-old son Rylan has autism with his biggest challenge being speech. The process of recording and performing music serves as an outlet for Leigh and her life’s work while simultaneously serving as an example and mode of therapy for Rylan as he continues to find his voice.